>>17585

>I will risk offending one more author I like, but no, it is not serious torture, In fact, according to MY standards that not even torture at all
>when characters start squishing each other with steamrollers, and especially when victims laugh before getting squished, that's cartoon violence. Maybe we can assume it to be a subjective judgment but that is why I like your story even more.

Don't worry, I'm not offended at all! (not yet anyway – but just keep pushing buster, and see what happens…)

Yes, I think it's a subjective judgement. Personally, I do see it as a kind of torture, or at least horror, but for me it's more about what turns me on, and that is mostly about the splatter. The torture is ancillary to that, and obviously unavoidable. Real, hardcore stuff, like removing fingernails, and stuff with eyes creeps me out TBH. For instance, I couldn't watch Reservoir Dogs, the ear slicing scene was too strong for me (although I'm probably a bit tougher these days, so might give it another shot). So from that point of view, maybe there is a cartoonish quality to it. I suppose the humour adds to that too.

>By the way, that scene reminds an "Austin Powers" comedy scene

Haha! God, I'd forgotten about that! Thanks for reminding me! I wonder if the pastry scene subconsciously influenced my telling of Kasia's thought of pastry when she was squishing Maisie… I did have a feeling that the idea wasn't new, so that was probably why.

Anyway, for those who don't know, I was referencing this scene from A Fish Called Wanda:
https://youtu.be/YgJvgESR920


>Also if you go way over the top with torture you will cross the line twice (even if you don't want to do so) and turn tragedy into comedy.

That's a good observation. When re-reading chapter 3 for instance, I find myself bursting out laughing with the absurd over-the-top levels of gore and nastiness. It is funny! I'm not sure if it was intentional or not TBH, not everything needs to be analysed in those terms. In other words, it is what it is.

Anyway thanks again. When you said you were going to read it, I knew you'd come up with some interesting takes!